Stepped care to improve PrEP use for pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Africa
Stepped care to optimize PrEP effectiveness in pregnant and postpartum women (SCOPE-PP) in South Africa
This project offers a stepped approach to help pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Africa start and keep using HIV prevention medicine (PrEP).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11459364 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be offered PrEP as part of routine antenatal and postnatal care and could receive extra supports that increase in intensity if you need them. Supports include counseling, HIV self-test kits for you and your partner(s), and enhanced adherence help for people struggling to stay on PrEP. Participants are placed into groups by chance so the team can compare which package helps more women stay protected through pregnancy and breastfeeding. The researchers will also look at costs and safety to advise national health policy and build on earlier local programs that integrated PrEP into prenatal clinics.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant or breastfeeding women in South Africa who are HIV-negative and at risk for HIV infection, and who attend participating antenatal/postnatal clinics, are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People who are already living with HIV, not pregnant or breastfeeding, or not receiving care at participating clinics would not be eligible or likely to benefit from this PrEP-focused program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more pregnant and postpartum women avoid HIV infection and cut the number of infant HIV cases by improving PrEP uptake and continuation.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows PrEP is safe and can prevent HIV in pregnancy and breastfeeding and earlier local work found integrated PrEP delivery acceptable, but keeping women on PrEP after delivery has proven difficult.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joseph Davey, Dvora Leah — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Joseph Davey, Dvora Leah
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.